May 10, 2005

JUST GET IT TO A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE (via mc):

Thomas gambles with plan (Bob Cusack, 5/10/05, The Hill)

Faced with his most daunting legislative challenge to date, Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) is taking a major gamble by attempting to pass Social Security reform as part of a massive retirement package that promises to have parts that will be favored by liberals and conservatives alike.

The Ways and Means Committee chairman has hinted in recent weeks that he will meld Democratic-sponsored legislation into his highly anticipated Social Security reform package in the hopes of attracting bipartisan support. [...]

Thomas has effectively swung the spotlight back to the House after weeks of speculation that the Senate Finance Committee would act first on Social Security. Political observers say Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) faces a challenging task just to report a bill out of his panel. As Grassley has become more pessimistic about the chances of Social Security reform happening this year, Thomas has been boldly predicting victory.

Democratic officials who have seen Thomas defy the odds and pass many controversial bills through the House acknowledge that the legislator’s brashness makes them a bit uneasy. However, they remain confident that Social Security with personal accounts is doomed and add that Thomas’s reputation of ramming bills through the House will not help his cause this year.

The upside of Thomas’s strategy could be the enactment of Social Security reform. The downside could be that liberals and conservatives will both attack his bill as it goes down in flames.


Both are upsides.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 10, 2005 12:38 PM
Comments

I think he will do it (and with private accounts). Unless of course someone here can describe a particular interest group that will punish politicians for voting for it.

I have trouble visualizing the idiot that would deny his 18 son/daughter or grandchildren the opportunity to have a private, accumulating private account for 40 years in order that the child can have the opportunity to throw away the money into taxes. Actually I think if sold correctly the political fall out will be in the other direction.

Posted by: h-man at May 10, 2005 2:45 PM

That's the rub, it should have been sold that way now.

They're willing to use intergenerational and class warfare, so should we.

Posted by: Sandy P. at May 10, 2005 6:30 PM
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